The call to action comes as the billionaire philanthropist and tech titan warns that AI is ushering in “one of the most turbulent times in human history”, which could either become “the greatest equaliser ever invented, or the worst source of injustice”.

“[The] countries that host the leading AI developers and control critical parts of the supply chain should begin meeting now to set up shared norms, before competitive pressure makes it harder for them to cooperate,” he wrote.

“Building the framework I’m talking about will take years, which is why we need to start now.”

In the 6,000-word essay, the Microsoft co-founder said world leaders are not adequately preparing for the transition to the AI era, which he believes differs from past technological transitions because of the pace of AI progress and the scale of its potential impacts.

“This time really is different,” he wrote.